The present invention generally relates to video signal recording and/or reproducing apparatuses, and more particularly to a video signal recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprising a back-space editing mechanism capable of stably moving a tape to the supply side during a so-called back-space editing operation in which a recording mode is interrupted, the tape is slightly fed back to the supply side, and the tape is caused to travel in a forward direction when the recording mode is resumed thereafter to continue the recording.
Presently, as video tape recorders, an apparatus of a type is popularly used in which a tape cassette is loaded into the apparatus and a tape is drawn out of the tape cassette to be loaded into a predetermined tape path for carrying out recording and reproduction. Most of the video tape recorders of this type are provided with a so-called back-space editing mechanism. By this back-space editing mechanism, the tape is slightly fed back to the supply side upon interruption of the recording mode, and the tape is caused to travel in a forward direction to lock the servo for the length of tape corresponding to the above fed back tape length to put the video tape recorder in a state possible for carrying out recording, to enable the recording to be continued from a point on the tape where the recording mode was interrupted. Conventionally, when returning the tape in a reverse direction by rotating a capstan in the reverse direction in a state where the tape is pinched between a pinch roller and the capstan, the tape was forcibly drawn out from a take-up reel. That is, the tape was drawn out from the take-up reel under tension.
In addition, especially in a video tape recorder in which the capstan is positioned in front of the loaded tape cassette, the tape is once guided by a guide pole provided at a front opening of the tape cassette before reaching the capstan, when observed with respect to a tape path within the tape cassette reaching the capstan from the take-up reel. This guide pole is not a guide pole provided in the video tape recorder, but provided within the tape cassette. Here, the tape cassette is assembled from upper and lower halves. These upper and lower halves are made of resin, molded by die. Thus, the vertical degree of the guide pole is determined by the accuracy in the dimensions of the upper and lower halves, and the assembling accuracy of these upper and lower halves. Accordingly, it is difficult to obtain a constant vertical degree of the guide pole. As a result, in some of the tape cassettes on the market, the guide pole is sloping to a degree exceeding the allowable sloping range. If such a tape cassette in which the guide pole is sloping in excess of the allowable sloping range is used with respect to the video tape recorder, the tape will deviate in the sloping direction of the guide pole when the tape is fed back. Hence, the tape path towards the capstan deviates in the width direction of the tape, that is, in the upward and downward directions. Furthermore, the tape deviates upwards and downwards at the part where the tape is pinched between the capstan and the pinch roller, and the tape path becomes irregular. This caused damage to the tape. In addition, there was a disadvantage in that the back-space editing operation could not be performed smoothly, because the tape travel became unstable upon starting of the back-space editing operation. Moreover, the above described phenomenons also occurred when the tape cassette was erroneously loaded in a sloping manner.